BILLINGS, Mont. – MSU Billings is set to compete in the NCAA National Championships Saturday, November 16 in Tempe, Arizona. A full field of 80 Division I and II women's triathletes are expected to race, including Madisan Chavez and Madalyn Terwilliger. The NCAA Division I and II combined race starts at 1:30pm and actual scoring will be divided out separately for DI and DII.
 
Arizona State University is hosting the event and the course features a one lap, 750 meter clockwise rectangle swim in Tempe Town Lake with a beach start just north of the Arizona State University campus. The 3-lap, 20 kilometer bike course will take place on closed roads through the heart of Tempe on either side of Tempe Town Lake with a total of six bridge crossings and relatively tight hairpin turns at both ends of the course.
 
Racers will end with a two-lap run totaling five kilometers on the bike path along the shores of Tempe Town Lake. This race will mark the conclusion of the 2019 NCAA triathlon season, with non-championship competition resuming in the spring.
 
MSUB triathlon has participated in four races since August 31 to prepare for Saturday's race, including the Southern Hills Triathlon, NCAA West Region Qualifier, Oktoberfest Triathlon, and NCAA East Region Qualifier.
 
"We ramped up volume and had two really tough training blocks in the weeks surrounding the NCAA East Regionals in October," said MSUB head triathlon coach Kevin Bjerke. "There was definitely a combination of physical and mental fatigue associated with those weeks, but it worked out that we only traveled once in that month span which made it manageable. The girls handled it well and stayed pretty healthy, so we are stronger for it now and ready to go as we finish our taper. I am excited to see where this hard work takes these ladies on Saturday.
 
Terwilliger (Billings, Montana) is a sophomore in her first season of triathlon. Chavez (Crow Agency, Montana) is also in her first year and is a freshman.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW: The NCAA Championship can be streamed live online through Triathlon LiveTV. Yellowjacket fans are encouraged to follow MSUB's newest varsity sport on MSUBSports.com and on twitter @MSUBTriathlon.